“Damn, Travis, you’re a one-man army,” Crane murmured.
After Travis’s second kill, the gunfire turned sporadic.
“One guy left and he’s surrendering,” Ashe shouted. The shooting stopped. “Drop your weapon. Hands behind your head.”
The remaining Fuego thug did as he was told, and the Iron Skulls bikers wasted no time swarming around him.
Crane and Travis helped the sheriff to his feet. Town folks gathered around to get him medical attention.
Spying Caitlin in the middle of the crowd, Travis reached for her and hauled her to his side. As his mind began to process the events, one thought turned his blood to ice. “Did anyone hear the gunshot when Marko went down?”
Everyone surrounding Travis froze at his words.
“None of you used a suppressor right?” Travis added anxiously, even as he knew the answer. He wasted no time ushering Caitlin into the sanctuary of the B&B. Crane and Ashe followed him inside.
“What the fuck’s going on, Bennett?” Crane asked. “That even your real name?”
“That was a sniper wasn’t it?” Caitlin asked.
“Goddamnit!” Travis shouted and he would have punched out a wall if he could. His eyes landed on Caitlin, his voice turning hoarse. “I can’t keep you safe. My own wife. I can’t fucking keep you safe.”
“Travis—” Caitlin whispered.
“Maybe that’s exactly the problem,” Crane said in a sage tone. “You’re too close to your charge. You’re not the best person to protect her.”
“Shut the fuck up, Crane,” Travis growled.
“No,” the MC president shot back. “You turned my town into the fucking O.K. Corral. I deserve answers. Do we have to arm up against these fuckers?”
Travis stilled. “You’re throwing down behind me and Caitlin?”
“Whoever decided to hire Marko had no scruples. He unleashed that dog on my turf. What do you think?”
“The best option is to get out of Iron Ridge,” Caitlin said. “We can’t drag you guys into this mess. I’m not even sure what the enemy wants anymore. The last one wanted me dead, but the sniper chooses to spare me this time. I don’t get it.”
Travis was a mass of suppressed anger. The impotence of not knowing what they were dealing with ate at him. She could have been killed. One shot. Straight to the head. The image of her with her blood-soaked blonde hair, lying on the ground dead, was fucking with his head.
Crane grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Get a grip on yourself, Bennett. Caitlin’s alive. It didn’t happen. She wasn’t the target.”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Travis repeated over and over.
“Travis!” Crane shouted into his face, effectively snapping him out of his dead man’s spiral. “Focus, goddamnit.”
His hazy vision sharpened as he stared into Crane’s serious face. Travis exhaled deeply, his gaze seeking out Caitlin. She was standing to the side, staring anxiously at him.
Shit. She didn’t lose it. He did.Fucking pussy.
“You know you’re going to be on lockdown when we return to DC?” Travis told his wife.
A resigned look crossed her face. She nodded.
“I’m not taking chances. I’m having Nate and Sam come down to escort us back to DC.” Travis resumed control; Crane inclined his head in approval.
“I’ll have some of my boys guard the B&B,” Crane said. “We’ll be ready for them if they’re stupid enough to come after your wife.”
The living roomof the Bluebell B&B took on the atmosphere of a clubhouse. Men in leather cuts were kicking back on the couch watching TV. Stone-hearth pizza was delivered from the Italian restaurant across the street free ofcharge. There was beer, some fried chicken wings, and a variety of other fares donated by different businesses. The town had banded together behind the Iron Skulls who were trying to keep the peace in this crazy town.
Caitlin returned to their room to freshen up. Travis had stayed behind to fill Nicholas Crane in on what was going on. The MC president’s brows shot to his hairline when Travis revealed exactly who he was and what he did. Caitlin was confident Travis would relay only need-to-know information. This was a new threat. And she was getting tired of what she couldn’t remember.
